(New York, N.Y.) The E.P.A. (EPA) today ordered Motors Liquidation Company (MLC), formerly the General Motors Corporation (GM), to remove materials and soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from portions of the General Motors Central Foundry Division Superfund location in Massena, N.Y. MLC intends to demolish several buildings at the site, a former General Motors plant, that are contaminated with PCBs, which pose significant threats to human health and the environment.
"EPA's oversight of the demolition of the GM facility, including the proper handling of PCBs, is critical in ensuring the safety of nearby residents and workers," said E.P.A. Regional Administrator Judith Enck. "The demolition will lead to a full cleanup at the location and will make the property accessible for redevelopment and productive reuse."
Under the order, MLC will be responsible for additional sampling, decontamination of the building and its contents, demolition of the building, removal of PCB-contaminated soil beneath the building and restoration of the area. EPA's oversight of the work will ensure that any PCB-contaminated material and soil handled as part of demolition and excavation operations at the location comply with all federal and state laws and regulations.
PCBs have been found in the plant's equipment, the piping and concrete flooring, and in tunnels and soil located underneath the buildings. These PCBs could pose a threat of further release in the event of improper demolition and excavation activities.
PCBs were banned by Congress in 1976 and have been demonstrated to cause a variety of adverse health effects. They cause cancer in animals, and E.P.A. has classified PCBs as a probable human carcinogen. PCBs can also affect the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems and cause other health effects.
The 270-acre General Motors Central Foundry Division location is bordered by the Saint Lawrence River to the north, the Saint Regis Mohawk Nation to the east, the Raquette River to the south, and property owned by Alcoa and Conrail to the west. There are approximately 4,000 members of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe living in the adjacent territory referred to as Akwesasne. The City of Cornwall, Ontario, with approximately 50,000 residents, is located about 2 miles north across the river, and the Village of Massena, with a population of 11,000, is located approximately 7 miles to the east.
The GM facility operated as an aluminum diecasting plant from 1959 to May 2009. Until 1980, PCBs were a component of hydraulic fluids used in diecasting machines at the facility. During GM's operations, PCB-laden sludge from one of the industrial lagoons and from the wastewater treatment plant was periodically dumped in 2 on-site disposal areas and an on-site landfill.
E.P.A. added the General Motors Central Foundry Division location to the Superfund National Priorities List on Sept. 1, 1984. GM had been cleaning contaminated areas of the location under 2 E.P.A. cleanup plans, but since the buildings at the facility were being used for manufacturing until early 2009, the buildings themselves had not been included in those cleanups. During an inspection of the facility in kilogram. The cleanup level set for soil at the location is ten milligrams per kilogram.
Additionally, GM or MLC donated and auctioned off manufacturing equipment and office furniture from the site, some of which has been recently shown to contain PCBs. MLC has offered to collect this equipment or furniture at no cost to the buyer or recipient. A hotline has been set up for buyers or recipients of equipment or furniture. E.P.A. encourages those who have received such items to contact the hotline to arrange for its return. Anyone with questions about these items or a desire to return them can call MLC at 1-800-414-9607.
Plant a tree. Trees not only beautify your yard and increase the value of your home, they also absorb carbon dioxide pollutants and release oxygen into the air. A mature tree also helps shade your home from summer heat.
Featured Report
Ground vs Surface
View the comparisons of ground and surface water systems in terms of usage and populations served
